Woodlands Awards 2017

THE DEADLINE FOR THE WOODLANDS AWARDS 2017 WAS 31 JULY 2017 AND THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. A LIST OF THIS YEAR'S WINNERS CAN BE FOUND BYCLICKING HERE.

A new set of annual awards celebrating woodland initiatives is being launched this year.

Wonderful and innovative things are taking place in the woodlands sector all the time. But there has never been an awards scheme that celebrates – and gives due recognition to – all this endeavour.

It is a failing that woodlands.co.uk is seeking to redress by creating the annual Woodlands Awards. The first awards will be announced this year – and you could be a winner!

Awards categories

There will be fourteen awards altogether, divided into two groups: awards for individuals (woodland owners and users) and awards for enterprises (woodland organisations, businesses, educational programmes and so on).

HOW THE AWARDS WILL BE JUDGED

A panel of judges will draw up a shortlist of the best entries, and then award the prizes. There may be a number of winners: all entries judged to be of equally high merit will be awarded a First Prize (i.e. no Second, Third).

Prizes will be awarded at the end of August 2017. Winners will be contacted by email.

Join the mailing list

If you would like to join a mailing list to receive further bulletins, alerts and reminders, please email antony@woodlands.co.uk

Any questions?

Email antony@woodlands.co.uk

Click on each of the awards to learn more about them, the judges’ criteria for making the award, and the prizes.

Awards for enterprises

Awards

Best Woodland Blogs

DESCRIPTION
We’re looking for the best blogs about woodlands written in the past year: engaging, succinct, informative, funny – any or all of these things!
Must be written between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017. Can be published or unpublished.

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!
Links to the winning published blogs will be posted on www.woodlands.co.uk
Winning unpublished blogs will be posted on www.woodlands.co.uk

HOW TO ENTER

Send us a link to a woodland blog you have written; or

Recommend a woodland blog that you think deserves a prize; or

Submit a new, unpublished blog.

Best Small Woodland Websites

DESCRIPTION
We’re looking for the best small woodland websites – websites created by owners or users of woodland that demonstrate their passion and knowledge, and perhaps their trials and tribulations. Good website design, presentation, navigation, writing, photography and/or illustration may also tip the balance towards an award.

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER

Send a link to your own small woodland website; or

Recommend a small woodland website that you think deserves a prize.

Best Woodland Photography

DESCRIPTION
Calling all woodland photographers: submit your best, most evocative, most moody, most stunning and romantic photos for a chance to win this prize. Woodland scenery, nature, activities, shelters, in detail or writ large: all welcome!

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Submit your best photos to awards@woodlands.co.uk

Note: it is particularly important in this category to study and observe the Terms & Conditions regarding copyright ownership and permissions.

Best Woodland Buildings/Shelters

DESCRIPTION
Woodland buildings can be wonderfully innovative, beautifully designed using sympathetic materials to function effectively in a remote location. Or they can be wonderfully ramshackle, weather-beaten and characterful. All entries considered (provided that they conform to planning regulations!)

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Submit photos of a woodland building or shelter that you think will qualify, along with a brief description (up to 500 words), plus any useful accompanying documentation, such as a groundplan – anything to persuade the judges that this is the best woodland building/shelter ever!

Open to any owners, designers, builders and creators of such buildings – or just their admirers (but see Terms & Conditions).

Best Woodland Tool Recommendations

DESCRIPTION
Is there a woodland tool that you really, really like and want to tell the world about? It could be a traditional hand tool, or the latest labour-saving power tool. What we want is your personal recommendation – and the most persuasive, convincing entries win!

PRIZES
The prize, given to the entrant who submits the most convincing review, will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool. The manufacturer of the winning tool will also receive an award certificate – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a short article (up to 500 words) describing what makes this tool so special. You can accompany your entry with photographs, or a link to the manufacturer’s website.

Note: Submissions for this award cannot be made by employees of the manufacturer or a commercial distributor of the tool recommended, or their families or associates. (We don’t want commercial plugs!) See Terms & Conditions.

Best Woodland Water Projects

DESCRIPTION
Do you have a stream running through your woodland? Is there are pond, or a lake edge? We are looking for the most imaginative uses of water in woodland, enhancing the visual beauty of the scenery, tapping water power, analysing and protecting the flora and fauna, restoring biodiversity. All projects, big and small, qualify – as long as they involve water!

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a short article (up to 1000 words) describing your water project. You can accompany your entry with photographs (such as before and after), drawings, maps – whatever you need to show the judges why your water project is special.

Best Whole Wood Owners’ Coordinators

DESCRIPTION
Individuals who work to promote and protect the combined interests of the multiple owners of whole woods deserve recognition for their hard work, commitment and diplomacy. This award is designed to celebrate good practice, and to shine a light on examples that others might follow.

PRIZES
The prize, awarded to the winning co-ordinator, will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Individual owners, or groups of owners, can put forward the names of candidates who deserve to be considered for this prize. A brief description of the candidate’s merits as a co-ordinator (up to 500 words) should be accompanied by full contact details.

Best Woodland Contractors

DESCRIPTION
This is an opportunity for woodland owners to give recognition to the good work of their favourite professional woodland contractors: individuals or businesses contracted to perform specialist woodland tasks such as tree planting, harvesting and extraction, creating tracks, building shelters or any aspect of woodland maintenance and management.

PRIZES
The prize, given to the winning Contractor, will consist of an award certificate – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Recommend your favourite woodland contractor, with an appraisal of up to 250 words, plus full contact details. In judging the award, special attention will be given to such considerations as the recommended contractor’s safe working practices and proven record in minimising damage and disruption to the woodland. Please provide full contact details (for you and the Woodland Contractor in question).

Note: Submissions for this award cannot be made by contractors themselves or their employees, their families or associates. See Terms & Conditions.

Best Forest Schools

DESCRIPTION
Forest Schools offer hands-on learning experience in woodlands (or other natural environments), mainly to young people – a priceless contribution to the public understanding of woodlands and nature. Forest Schools are a growing movement, and this award offers recognition to the best of them.

PRIZES
The prize, given to the winning Forest School, will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a personal recommendation (up to 500 words) of a Forest School that you think deserves the award. Submissions can be made by parents of learners attending a Forest School, or the learners themselves – and Forest Schools are invited to encourage them to do so. You can supplement your submission with photographs (but this is optional). Please provide full contact details (for you and the Forest School in question).

Note: Submissions for this award cannot be made by the organisers, staff or teachers/trainers of the recommended Forest School that is the subject of the submission. See Terms & Conditions.

Best Woodland Courses

DESCRIPTION
Woodland Courses provide vital training in all aspects of woodland management and activities (tree identification, pest control, timber grading, chainsaw use, coppicing, wood turning, hurdle-making, spoon-carving and so on). Here is a chance to publicise your appreciation of a woodland course that has proved especially worthwhile and/or enjoyable, and which you think deserves an award and recognition.

PRIZES
The prize, given the winning Woodland Course, will consist of an award certificate – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a personal recommendation (up to 500 words) of a Woodland Course that you think deserves the award. You can supplement your submission with photographs (but this is optional). Please provide full contact details (for you and the Woodland Course in question).

Note: Submissions for this award cannot be made by the organisers, staff or teachers of the recommended Woodland Course that is the subject of the submission. See Terms & Conditions.

Best Community Woods

DESCRIPTION
Community Woods provide a whole host of benefits that flow both ways. They connect people with nature and deliver a broad range of social, environmental and economic public benefits (such as opportunities for outdoor recreation or the supply of woodfuel). They can also be of great benefit to the woods themselves: work undertaken can improve woodland habitats and restore native woodlands. The award seeks to give recognition to Community Woods that work particularly well, and make a special contribution to community life.

PRIZES
The prize, given to the organisers/owners of the winning Community Woods, will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a personal recommendation (up to 500 words) of a Community Wood that you think deserves the award. You can supplement your submission with photographs (but this is optional). Please provide full contact details (for you and the Community Wood in question).

Best Woodfair Trade Stands

DESCRIPTION
This award celebrates the work and ingenuity that goes into creating the best stands at Woodfairs. Stands of any kind and scale will be considered. We are looking for innovation, creativity, clever design and clarity of purpose.

PRIZES
The prize, given to the winning Woodfair Trade Stand, will consist of an award certificate – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a short description (up to 250 words) about a Woodfair Trade Stand that you think works particularly well – it could be your own! Please supply details of the Woodfair(s) where the stand appeared, plus photographs.

Best Woodland Books of the Year

DESCRIPTION
What were the best books about woodland and all woodland matters this year? Was it a gloriously illustrated book about trees, or a well-presented practical book about woodland management, or a personal memoir? All could qualify, as long as they were published between January 2016 and July 2017.

PRIZES
The prize, awarded to the reviewers of the winning books, will consist of an award certificate, a selected woodland book and a woodland hand tool. The Authors and Publishers of the winning books will also receive award certificates – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Write a short review (up to 500 words) of your recommended book, explaining what particularly appeals to you about it. Please supply full details about the book (title, author, publisher, and website link).

Best Regional and National Woodland Organisations

DESCRIPTION
Many of the UK’s Regional and National Woodland Organisations do a wonderful job promoting and supporting the woodlands sector in various ways, be it supporting the interests of woodland owners, promoting awareness of woodlands, actively campaigning for the protection and preservation of woodland, and so on. Which of them has made a particular mark – deserving the title Regional and National Woodland Organisation of the Year?

PRIZES
The prize will consist of an award certificate for the winning organisation(s) – and recognition!

HOW TO ENTER
Send us a short appreciation (up to 250 words) of the Regional and National Woodland Organisation that has particularly won your approval, explaining what makes it stand out.

Note: Submissions for this award cannot be made by anyone directly involved (employees, volunteers) in the organisation that is the subject of the submission. See Terms & Conditions.

New Woodland Email Updates

Select regions:

South East England
Northern England
Cumbria
North Wales and the Welsh Marches
West and South Wales and Herefordshire
East Anglia
Devon
Cornwall and West Devon
Central England
Southern Scotland and Northumberland
Northern Scotland
Northern Ireland
One Planet Development
Lakes and Rivers
Meadows and Fields
Hutting